Chapter 60

I found myself unintentionally admiring.

“How did he know?”

Perhaps, with his beast-like brain, he had somehow developed a new sense.

Fortunately, the angry Alpheios was a man without weight. Losing his composure, he immediately blurted out:

“You— you never once smiled at me.”

I recalled all the conversations I had with Alpheios so far.

After all, Alpheios was a prince of a country, and I always kept a smiling face out of courtesy.

Yet, he said I never smiled at him.

“Of course, I never genuinely smiled… but was he really the type to distinguish that?”

As if he knew what I was thinking, Alpheios swelled with anger.

“Just because I treated you a little, you still think you’re a noble lady? You’re a filthy thing caught as spoils of war, a slave to yourself!”

“What?”

I involuntarily questioned his sudden crude insult.

But Alpheios, having lost reason, grew even more ugly, spewing childish verbal abuse.

“You call yourself a captive, but you’re a lowly slave! When someone signals, you have to crawl underneath and spread your legs. And yet I gave you a chance to be a noblewoman… how dare you insult me like this?”

“Hmm.”

I rolled my eyes helplessly.

The wild man rampaged like a runaway colt.

“You insolent woman, ungrateful… I was a bit kind to you because I felt sorry for not recognizing you at first sight.”

“How long are you going to keep this up, Alpheios?”

“Don’t you dare call me that! I was just lenient, originally you’re a filthy slave who can’t even meet my gaze.”

At this point, for my own sake, I wanted to stop listening to his low-level nonsense.

Whether fortunate or not, my wish was fulfilled in an entirely unexpected way.

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the parlor.

It was the sound of drums used as an alarm for urgent matters.

Ignoring Alpheios’s annoying voice, I listened carefully beyond the door.

Then, a loud, clear voice rang through the walls.

“His Royal Highness Crown Prince Leodinas is scheduled to visit. Everyone, prepare yourselves!”

It seemed to be the crown prince’s attendant speaking, with a very loud and clear voice that was impossible to ignore.

Alpheios’s face twisted in frustration.

“Of all times…”

He hurriedly gathered the boxes he had scattered on the table.

Judging by this, it seemed he was giving up on ‘proposing’ to me and trying to retrieve the wasted gifts.

I watched Alpheios disappear like a fugitive and slowly stepped out into the hallway.

No matter how sudden, the crown prince had officially announced his identity upon entering, so it was necessary to greet him properly.

‘Still, I’m a slave. Isn’t it proper etiquette to avoid drawing the attention of such a noble person?’

Though I thought this, I didn’t stop walking.

He likely had some business with me.

I went to the hall without much emotion.

Already, all the servants and retainers were lined up in front of the entrance.

Soon, I heard the sound of a carriage stopping beyond the wide-open door.

The door opened and everyone bowed their heads.

“His Royal Highness Leodinas Tou Arete, Crown Prince, has arrived. Please show proper respect.”

The attendant said solemnly, even though everyone was already bowing.

Soon, heavy footsteps entered the mansion.

The crown prince, who had arrived at Dynamis Castle, glanced around and cleared his throat.

Then, in a voice almost nothing like Alpheios’s, he spoke.

“Chernea Antonietta del Peroa.”

I slowly lifted my head and met the gaze of the man looking at me.

A man with the same blond hair and red eyes as Alpheios.

Though not fully dressed in formal attire, the crown prince had at least put on proper clothes and opened his mouth.

“I have come to see you.”

The first to respond to the crown prince’s words was the steward.

Bowing respectfully, he spoke politely:

“It is an honor to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May I escort you to the parlor?”

“Yes, it would be better to sit and talk properly. Show him the way.”

“I am sorry, but our largest parlor is still being prepared. Therefore, I would like to invite you to the second-best room. Please forgive our shortcomings.”

“Second-best? Ah.”

The crown prince scoffed.

“That scoundrel Alpheios has already been here. Very well, lead me anywhere.”

“Thank you.”

The steward bowed politely and led the crown prince to the parlor.

Surrounded by the crown prince’s attendants, I followed them, pondering.

‘What could be the cause?’

What kind of problem would bring the crown prince to this shabby mansion with no throne?

I doubted it would be good news for me.

My suspicion became reality the moment tea was placed on the parlor table.

After the maids left and I was alone with the crown prince, he got to the point.

“This is the first proper time we meet, but there’s no time for formal greetings. What would you prefer I call you? Lady Peroa? Or Lady Velique?”

Neither title had anything to do with my current situation.

Still, I preferred the title of Lady Peroa.

“Please call me by the name that fits the reason for your visit.”

“…Then I must call you Princess.”

With those words, I understood why the crown prince had come to see me.

“The empire has elevated my status to princess, it seems.”

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“I thought such a thing might happen someday.”

Though I never really expected it.

It seemed the empire’s ambition for territorial expansion was greater than I had imagined.

I slowly lifted the teacup.

‘This is tiring.’

Even in my situation as a slave after the fall of my country, my bloodline—related to royalty and nobility of many nations—held value.

Not necessarily because I bore remarkable offspring, but because I could be used for various political justifications.

But now that I was a princess, my value had increased further.

The rank difference between a duchy’s lady and a kingdom’s princess was not just a matter of status but also affected the titles one could receive according to etiquette.

‘This must be a declaration that Peroa is a vassal state of the empire.’

Princess of Peroa.

Now that this was the case, it was clear that more factions would want to seize me—even if they had to attack the Kingdom of Arete.

‘Moreover…’

I reflexively thought of Riorem.

Princess.

The status that Riorem had painstakingly restored had instead become even more distant.

I didn’t care about what was happening to me.

It was a problem I was meant to face by birthright.

But… thinking that Riorem would fall into greater despair and inferiority because of a status I didn’t even want made me irritated.

The crown prince quietly observed my expression.

“So it’s true that you have no intention of leaving General Riorem’s side.”

“Is it that obvious that I hate it?”

I asked in genuine surprise.

Alpheios had quickly caught on whenever I thought about Riorem—was I that bad at hiding my feelings?

After all, I had practiced wearing a mask my whole life.

The crown prince, however, looked displeased by my answer.

“…You have a look that could kill someone.”

“Ah.”

I snorted softly.

Rather than losing the ability to hide my emotions, it seemed I simply couldn’t hide them when it came to Riorem.

“That’s a relief.”

“…Relief?”

“Because it means your master has become your only weakness.”

For some reason, I felt a sense of pride.

The crown prince’s expression became complicated.

But I had no intention of caring about his feelings.

“Then please tell me your purpose. Surely you did not come all this way just to say something in secret.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Speak. If there is anything I can do, I will.”

After taking a deep breath, the crown prince spoke calmly.

“I want you to issue a statement in your name.”

Surprised by the unexpected request, I tilted my head.

The crown prince continued, looking at me with serious eyes.

“A statement renouncing your claim to the Peroa throne as a princess, abandoning your status, and declaring that you will live at Dynamis Castle under the Kingdom of Arete.”

“Does that have any meaning?”

“Well… if a princess eloped for love, wouldn’t any logical attack against her lose meaning?”

Oh. I parted my lips.

The crown prince wore a troubled expression.

“So…”

“You want me to officially announce that I left my country, parents, and siblings to be with my first love, General Riorem, here in the Kingdom of Arete.”